Lid support



June 22 1926,

Filed Sept. 23, 1925 D. LAMB LID SUEPORT gmc/Wto@ Patented `lune 22,1926.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID C. LAMB, 0F STURGIS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 CASWELL-R'UNYAN CO., OFHUNTINGTON, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA.

LID SUPPORT. i

Application filed September 23, 1925. Serial No. 58,192.

The present invention relates to improvements in lid supports and hasfor an object to provide a compact device, which will not need aseparate compartment for housing the same and will permit the lid toraise to its full extent.

Another object of the invention resides in providing a device which willnot interfere with the closed position of the lid and yin fact will aidthis closed position, and will maintain the lid tight against thecabinet or box.

A further object of the invention lies in providing a lid support inwhich the improved device will aid in lifting the lid, while providingfor arresting the lid when it reaches its fully open position and forholding the lid against falling back upon the cabinet or other articlesof furniture.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be morefully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed outin the claims appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or correspondingparts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through a cabinet withthe improved lid support shown in elevation.

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the raised condition of the lid, and

Figure 3 is a section taken on the line 8--3 in Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 4 designates a cabinet,such as a radio cabinet, or a box or other container, and 5 indicatesthe lid thereof hinged as at 6. The closed and opened positions of thelid are indicated in Figures 1 and 2 respectively.

The improved lid support is secured 'to' one side wall of the cabinet orbox and consists of a comparatively fiat lever 7 fulcrumed intermediateits ends upon the pin or screw 8 and having inwardly offset end portions9 and 10. The portion 9, being the shorter arm of the lever is providedwith a laterally extending lug 11 for the attachment of one end of thecoil spring 12. The other end of this spring is secured, as by thefastening 13, to a fixed part, such as the side of the cabinet. Thespring is placed under tension when the lid is closed and is constantlyin a potential condition in readiness to exert a lifting elect on thelid.

The other offset end 10 of the lever 7 is provided with the notch 14 tocooperate with the bill or hook 15 bent from the end of the wear strip16 attached to the lid. This wear strip is arranged in the plane ofmovement of the lever 7 and is adapted to provide a surface track forthe rounded nose 17 at the end of the lever. This nose is Vcompletelyrounded from the end of the lever to the outer wall of the notch 14.This rounded surface 17, due to the formation of the notch 14 alsoprovides a cooperating bill, the size of which is made to be receivedinto the spacey within the bill 15 of the wear strip.

The two bills form an interlocking stop arrangement for arresting thelid and holding the lid in its substantially vertical position. The bill17 and the notch 14 are both disposed about centrally of the lever 7. Inany event they are inwardly of the cam surface 18. This cam surface ismade by gradually widening the lever 7 toward the notch end and inproviding the notch 14 and the bill 17 in the offset relation referredto. This cam or rounded surface is adapted to engage the wear strip 16as the lid 5 approaches the closed position. In other words when thenose 17 moves oif the wear strip the cam surface engages such wear stripand serves to push the lever 7 downwardly to the position shown inFigure 1. Due to the widened portion of the lever 7 adjacent the camsurface 18 and the disposition of the fulcrum 8 and connection of thespring 12, the lid may remain closed without interference from thelever.

Considerable friction will be developed by reason of the sliding Contactof the rounded nose 17 over the wear plate 16 in the act of lifting andclosing the lid 5. This friction is taken advantage of and is used tooppose the action of the coil spring 12, whereby a balanced effect. maybe had upon opposite ends of the lever 7. The spring 12 may thus be ofminimum strength as generally speaking, it will perform onlyapproximately of the work, it being found on test that the frictiondeveloped between the lever and the Wear plate 16 will amount toapproximately 40% of the total resistance to the movement of the lid 5.

In operation the parts will be normally in the position shown in Figure1 where the lid 5 is shown as closed and the lever 7 collapsed with thespring 12 drawn out or distended. With the parts in this position thelever will have no eii'ect to raise the lid and the lid may remaintightly closed. However, only a small application of torce is necessaryto slightly litt the lid whereupon the spring 12 acting on the leverwill cam the lid 5 upwardly until the hook 17 engages the bill l5whereupon the further backward movement of the lid will be arrested.rlhe device is intended to hold the lid in the fully open position, sothat complete and convenient access may be had to the interior of thecabinet box. The disposition oi' the ulcrum 8 is also so r located withreference to the stop parts that the lid may be lowered by simplydrawing the same down without initiating any movement in the lever 7.

The lever is preferably i'ulcrumed to a side plate 19, which takes upthe wear and minimizes the friction incident to the swinging movement ofthe lever 7. The onset parts of the lever also reduce the friction andprevent the spring from scraping along the plate 19 and the side wall ofthe box. rlhe oii'set part 1() of the lever projects beyond the plate 19in the closed position of the lid and therefore does not come in contactwith t-he woodwork or' the box. The necessity tor a longer plate 19 isthus dispensed with.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in thedetails of construct-ion and design ot the above specifically describedembodiment of this invention without departing from the spirit thereof,such changes and modications being restricted only by the scope of thefollowing claims lVhat is claimed is 1. A lid support for boxes and thelike comprising a lever ulcrumed intermediate its ends to a side wall ofthe box just beneath the lid, resilient means coupled to one end of saidlever for swinging the same to open the lid, said lever having a widecam portion at one end for engaging the lid, stop means on the leverbeyond said cam portion for engaging said lid subsequent to itsengagement with the cani portion in the opening movement of the lid, andcooperating` stop means carried by said lid.

2. A lid support for boxes and the like comprising a lever ulcrumedintermediate its ends to the interior of the box adjacent the lid,resilient means coupled to the end of said lever for swinging the sameto raise the lid, said lever having a wide cam portion near one endengaging the lid in the closed position, said lever also having a notchoutwardly oi:` the cam portion and a bill with a rounded nose outwardlyot' said notch, both said notch and bill being offset inwardly from thecam portion of the lever, and a cooperating bill on the lid receivedabout said rounded nose and into said notch for restricting the openingmovement of the lid.

3. A lid support for boxes and the like comprising a lever fulcrumedintermediate its ends to the interior of the box and having otisetopposite ends with a laterally extended lug at one end, a coil springattached to the box and to said lug and normally held under tensionduring the closed position oi' the lid but acting on said lever to raisethe lid subsequent to initial opening movement oi' the lid, the otheroffset end portion of said lever being progressively wider and having arounded cam portion inwardly of its end with a notch beyond said camportion, and a rounded nose beyond said notch, both said notch and nosebeing offset inwardly from the cam portion, and a wear strip carried bysaid top inwardly engaged with said cam portion in the closed positionof the lid and subsequently receiving said rounded nose of the lever,said wear strip having a bill at one end to engage said notch androunded nose in the fully open position of the lid.

DAVID C. LAMB.

